Trousers



` TROUSERS Filed April 8, 1944 gets-p:-

3 Sheetsf-Sheet 1 30 INVENTOR.

L. MARKIN TROUSERS Filed April 8, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet- 2 0% I r P430 INVENTOR.

l.. MARKIN April 6, `1948.

TROUSERS Filed April 8, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 y INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 6, 1948 TROUSERS i Louis Mar-kin, Chicago, Ill., Jassignorvto Society Brand Clothes, Inc., :incorporation` oflllinois Application April 8, 1944, Serial No. A530,169

(Cl. .2f-235) Claims.

This invention relates to trousers construction, and particularly to means for adjusting the waistband size of trousers to decrease or diminish the waistband rather than by letting out or `taking lin the rear sea-m proper.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a readily adjustable means for adjusting the waistband size of a pair of trousers without altering the rear seam of the trousers while preserving -the same appearance and fit of the trousers.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a simple type of adjusting means disposed immediately above the rear pockets of the trousers at the waistband and including two substantially vertically disposed slits in the fabric `of the trousers just above the waistband, together with means for adjustably holding the flaps formed by the slits in adjustable, overlapping relation, whereby to vary the size of the waistb-and.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing av readily adjustable waistband fora pair of trousers, rather than by letting out or taking Vin the` rear seam, which' comprises forming a-n opening in the waistband of the `trousers on both sides of the rear seamand over the rear pocket section from Vthe top of the waistband down to a point slightly above the rear pocket, whereby to provide overlapping flaps and whereby the bottom of the opening forms a pivotal point about which the flaps may swing to various adjustments of overlapping, and providing each of the flaps with adjustably engaging fastening means adapted to hold the flaps in various positions `of overlap, by which means the waistband is instantly adjustable without disturbing the proper hang, fit or appearance of the trousers.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following specilication, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

`Figure 1 is a perspective rear view of a pair of trousers provided with the instant invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe rear part of the trousers;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2; i

Figure 4 is a view showing the trousers let out at the waistband;

Figure 5 is a view showing the fastening devices separated;

Figure 6 is a plan view of Figure 2;

Figure F7 is a side view of the trousers equipped with the invention;

Figure V8 is an inside view of the rear of the trousers;

Figure 9 is an inside View of the rear of the trousers with the adjusting -ap turned down showing the left hand rear pocket;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in .perspective showing the detail of the mounting and construction of the fastening means.

Figure 11 is a view partly in section on the line .l l-II inFigure 10; and i Fig-ure l2 is a view partly in section on the line l2-l2 inFi-g-ure 11.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention-comprises any type of trousers 2, having the usual type of waistband 4 having the front seam 6, as usual, and the customary rear seam 8. In additin, the trousers are provided with the usual type of side pockets Ill and rear pockets l2 and .'I4. The waistband is provided with the usual belt straps I3. The lining of the side pocket is shown in dotted lines in Figure 7 as at 20 and the rear pockets lining at 22.

The present invention resides in providing a placket or open seam in the waistband of the trousers immediately above the edge of the rear pockets l2 and I4. The bottoms of these two open seams occur at approximately the points 24 and 26, which are slightly above the plane of the mouth -of the rear pockets l2 and I4. `The placket or open seam is formed so that the sides thereof provide overlying flaps or folds 28 and 30.

Figures 2, 5, 8 and 9 show the inner construction of these iiaps or folds. Immediately below the waistband seam 32 there is .a seam 34' which extends from slightly above the rear pocket I2 upwardly to the waistband seam 32. The cloth of the `trousers extends beyond this substantially vertical seam in a triangular piece, as shown at 35, from the heavy stitching 24 'up to the waistband seam 32, the waistband seam being severed along the vertical line 38 whereby to form the underlying flap. This flap is shown at 4l) in Figure 8, and a part of the upper inner lining l42 of the waistband 2 `overlies part of this flap as at 44, being stitched thereto along the line `46. It will be noted that the heavy stitching 24 forming the bottom of the placket, and aboutwhich the placket folds swing, passes through the upper fabric of the rear pocket lining 50 whereby to provide a series of layers of cloth through which' the stitching 24 passes, so as to make this pivotal point a very strongly stitched one. The dotted line 52 shows the mouth of the rear pocket. The outer face of this underlying ilap 28 is provided with' a sewed-in, flexible, longitudinal track 54 site flap 30 is provided with' a slider 60 compris-V I ing a generally C-shaped piece of metal having curved, spaced apart walls adapted to slide over the tapered end 58 of the track member and to underlie and slide along the opposed side walls of the toothed stops 64 of the track member whereby the slide 60 may slide along the track when once threaded thereon but cannot be removed therefrom except by sliding oi the tapered end 58 of the member. In addition, the slide is provided with a pivoted latch 65 like the toe 35 of the Statham Patent 1,887,825, operated by a lever 68, the arrangement being such that when the lever is in a flat position as shown in Figure 2, the toe or inner end of the lever will be swung so that it clamps into a space between two adjacent bars or strips 94 on the elongated flexible track. The construction is preferably of the type shown in the patentsto Statham, Nos. 1,887,825, and Re, 19,356, although not necessarily so. It will be understood that the slide is pro vided with a shank "i0 which is sewed to the edge of the overlying flap 30, whereby to provide pivotal positions about the stitchings 24 and 25 to permit various adjustments of the two ilaps in various overlying relationships whereby the waistband may be adjusted at two places so that it may be l-et out or taken in, in accordance with the dimensions of the wearer. ber 54 is permanently carried upon a flexible, preferably rectangular, elongated tape or fabric l2 which in the preferred form is sewed by a line of stitching 14 to the folded under edges of an opening 'i6 in the outer ply of the waistband material in which the fastener 54 is mounted, As shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, the fabric 12 extends between the inner and outer plies of the waistband. The lever 68 has two positions, as indicated by the solid lines and the dotted lines in Figures 10, 11 and 12. When the lever 68 is swung to open position, as illustrated by the solid lines, the latch 55 is out of engagement with the bars 611, leaving the slide Si? free to slide along the track 54. When the lever 58 is in the position indicated by the dotted lines, the latch 66 engages between a pair of the cross bars 64 and prevents the slide ,from moving longitudinally on the track 54.

It will be apparent that by reason of the location of the pivotal plackets comprising the overlapping, pivotally adjustable flaps, directly above the'rear pockets I2 and I4, I provide an adjustment for the waistband wh'ich will not interfere either with the hang, fit or appearance of the trousers, The hang or t of the front portions of the trousers is in no wise affected because the adjustment takes place to the rear of the normally located side pockets Hl. Due to the fact th'at the pivotal stitchings 24 an-d 26 pass through the lining members of the rear pockets and through the overlying fabric of which the trousers are made, these pivotal points are inherently strong and so `reinforce-d that in the swingingadjustment of the flaps the iit or lay of The track memthe fabric will not be aiected except that the waistband will be correspondingly taken in or let out, depending upon the adjustment of the sliders along the flexible tracks. By means of these two adjustments a considerable variation in waistband is provided, whereby a less number of trousers of that particular design and t can be carried in stock, to correspond with coats and/or vests of similar style and fabric.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction disclosed herein but is capable of other modications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by VLetters Patent is:

1. A pair of trousers having the usual rear seam, frontopening, side pockets and rear pockets, and having the usual waistband, said trousers being provided with a pair of vertical openings.

each extending from the top edges of the Vwaistv band and severing the waistband, said openings extending downwardly through the cloth attached to but located below the waistband to a point over each rear pocket to provide an opening thereat and forming adjustable flaps adapted to pivot about the base of the opening, said base being'reinforoed to resist tearing of the fabric at said pivotal point, each of said flap portions carrying cooperative parts of an adjustable fastener, which parts are adapted to shift relatively and substantially transversely of the vertical axis of Y the opening and to be adjustably fastened in substantially any shifted position within the limits of said fastener whereby adjustably to increase or decrease theV size of the waistband of said trousers. 2. A pair of trousers including the usual front opening and rearl seam, the usual side pockets and the usual rear pockets, and the usual waist# band, the trousers being provided with open plackets each extending from the top edge of the waistband to sever the waistband, said plackets extending downwardly through the cloth of the trousers sewed to the waistband to a point above the top edge of each pocket, the material of the trousers at said opening being extended to pro-V vide overlapping placket flaps and the bottom of said openin-g being reinforced, and means for adjustably maintaining said flaps in variant positions of overlapping engagement of relatively small increments, wherebyto provide a waistband adjustment for said trousers, said last named means including a flexible elongated fastening member secured to one of said flaps and extending substantially parallel to the top of the waistband and a cooperative fastening member secured to the overlapping flap and adapted to engage and lock to said rst mentioned elongated fastening member and said elongated fastening member being secured in the waistband so as to show only the portion thereofV which' said cooperative fastening :member enga-ges and to which it locks, 3. A pair of trousers inclu-ding the usual front opening and rear seam, the usual side pockets and the usual rear pockets, and the usual waistband, the cloth of the trousers and the waistband being provided with open plackets each extending viding overlapping flaps at said line of cut, said line of cut being stitched at its bottommost portion through the fabric of the upper portion of the trousers pocket ply and through the exterior fabric of the trousers to provide a reinforcement, and means for adjustably swinging said overlapping ilaps about the reinforcement point and for maintaining said iiaps in various positions of overlapping adjustment at relatively small linear increments, whereby to provide a waistband adjustment for said trousers.

4. A pair of trousers including the usual front opening and rear seam, the usual side pockets and the usual rear pockets, and th'e usual waistbands, the trousers being provided with open plackets or openings each extending from the top edge of the waistband downwardly to -a point above the top edge of each pocket, said plackets severing the waistband, the material of the trousers at said opening being extended to provide overlapping placket ilaps and the bottom of said opening being reinforced, one of said flaps being formed with an elongated flexible track extending parallel to the horizontal edge of the waistband, said track comprising parallel, spaced apart, relatively narrow bars forming stops, and the other of said flaps carrying a slide adapted slidably and Iadjustably to engage and lock in various positions at relatively small linear displacements along the flexible track, said slide including a shiftable cooperative'locking member adapted to be positioned between any of a pair of said stops whereby to lock the slide in such position whereby to hold said flaps in various positions of overlying engagement to adjust the waistband of the trousers.

6 5. A pair of trousers including the usual front opening, rear seam, side pockets, rear pockets, and waistband, said trousers having openings formed therethrough and each extending from the top of the waistband :downwardly to a, point immediately over each rear pocket, said openings severing the waistband, the material of the trousers being formed at said opening to provide overlapping, lined naps, said opening being formed through the upper portion of th'e fabric of the rear pocket above the opening of the rear pocket and the bottom of the opening being stitched through all the layers of the fabric thereat to reinforce said bottom of the opening, each of said flaps being provided with cooperative parts of an adjustable fastening means adapted adjustably to hold said aps in various positions of relatively small increments of adjustment pivotally about said point of reinforcement, whereby to increase the waistband measurement of the trousers.

LOUIS MARKIN.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,887,825 Statham Nov. 15, 1932 1,078,950 Peine Novl 18, 1913 1,107,236 Rethorn Aug. 11, 1914 1,135,459 McMullen Apr. 13, 1915 1,092,374 Margolis Apr. 7, 1914 1,965,315 Mainzer July 3, 1934 

